Description

This Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Rocket is a refreshing and elegant dish combining juicy ripe pears, toasted walnuts, peppery rocket, and creamy blue cheese. Tossed with a vibrant Dijon-honey cider vinegar dressing, it offers a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors, ideal as a light lunch or sophisticated starter.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

1 1/2 – 2 pears, any type, juicy and ripe (or nashi pears or sweet apples)
3/4 cup walnuts, whole (substitute almonds or pecans if desired)
120g / 4oz rocket (arugula) lettuce
120g / 4oz Roquefort, gorgonzola, stilton or other good blue cheese, creamy but can be crumbled into chunks

Dressing

1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Make the Dressing: In a jar, combine the Dijon mustard, honey, cider vinegar, vegetable or olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Shake well until the ingredients are thoroughly emulsified and create a smooth dressing.
Prepare the Pears: Halve the pears and scoop out the core. Place each half cut-side down on a cutting board and slice into thin 3mm (0.12 inch) slices. Set aside.
Toast the Walnuts: Spread the walnuts evenly on a baking tray and toast them in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 8 minutes or until fragrant and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Leave some walnuts whole and break some into halves by hand to add texture variation.
Toss the Rocket: Place the rocket leaves in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the prepared dressing to lightly coat the greens.
Assemble the Salad: On a large serving platter, spread one-third of the dressed rocket. Scatter one-third of the pear slices, one-third of the toasted walnuts, and one-third of the crumbled blue cheese evenly over the rocket. Repeat layering two more times to create three layers. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top just before serving to enhance flavor and presentation.

Notes

Choose ripe and juicy pears for optimal sweetness; nashi pears or sweet apples can be substituted.
The walnuts add a toasty crunch; tossing them fresh out of the oven enhances the nutty flavor.
Use a good quality, creamy blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola for the best taste and texture.
Adjust the amount of dressing to taste, but avoid overdressing the salad as rocket wilts quickly.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Western

Keywords: pear salad, blue cheese salad, walnut salad, rocket salad, healthy salad, easy dinner salad, autumn salad